Negative associations of frozen compared with fresh vegetables.

Despite convenience and nutrition advantages of frozen vegetables, consumption of them is low compared with fresh vegetables and continues to decrease. In two studies, we observe a negative bias for frozen vegetables compared with fresh vegetables. In study 1, we used an Implicit Association Test (IAT) to demonstrate that generalized negative associations with frozen vegetables are automatic, robust, and ingrained in long-term memory. In study 2, we conceptually replicate this finding with an explicit measure and extend it by examining the role of transforming the food product in formation of the observed negative bias. We find no improvement in evaluation for frozen spinach when participants contemplate the final cooked product. Instead, we see less favorable evaluations of fresh spinach when participants contemplate the final cooked product. These findings are consistent with previous research that demonstrates that transformation of a food from its "natural" state leads to less favorable evaluations of it.

Time of day effects on the regulation of food consumption after activation of health goals.

Previous research has found that while self-regulation is a resource that can be depleted, enhanced motivation to do so can help people successfully self-regulate. The aim of this research was to determine whether activating health goals-either via laboratory priming techniques or via advertisements-can help people regulate food intake later in the day, when self-regulation resources are typically depleted. In two experimental studies, participants completed goal activation tasks in the morning or in the afternoon while they had a snack food (M&M's candies) available for consumption. In study 1, 121 participants viewed television shows with either healthy food ads, indulgent food ads, or non-food ads embedded within the program. In study 2, 149 participants completed a supraliminal but nonconscious goal priming exercise, in which they searched for health, indulgence, or control words in a puzzle. In both studies, activation of health goals led to decreased consumption of the snack food in the afternoon. In contrast, activation of health goals did not change consumption in the morning, when self-regulatory resources are typically high, due to replenishment after rest. These results suggest that activating health goals-either via classic laboratory goal-priming paradigms or via "real world primes," such as ads for healthy foods-helps people to overcome failures in curbing food consumption due to depleted self-regulatory resources later in the day.

Food waste (mis)takes: The role of (mis)perception and (mis)estimation.

Food waste (mis)takes are implicated as drivers of global issues including climate change, food security, environmental sustainability, and international trade. In this article, we review recent research in this area and generate a novel conceptual organization through which we can understand the theoretical underpinnings of food waste. Our framework identifies consumer (mis)perception of food safety and (mis)estimation of food for consumption as the dominant mechanisms underlying food waste and specifies a set of psychological antecedents that activate these two theoretical drivers. This dynamic conceptual lens offers a framework through which researchers might categorize extant work, frame subsequent research aimed at understanding the drivers of food waste, and design solutions aimed at curbing it.

Psychological reactance impacts ratings of pediatrician vaccine-related communication quality, perceived vaccine safety, and vaccination priority among U.S. parents.

Physician communication surrounding vaccination is important in driving patient compliance with schedules and recommendations, but patient psychological factors suggest that communication strategies may have differential effects on patients. This paper investigates how psychological reactance, defined as an individuals' propensity to restore their autonomy when they perceive that others are trying to impose their will on them, impacts perceptions about physician communication and perceptions and prioritizations of vaccination. We propose and describe the results of a study that was conducted to assess the relationship between individual differences in reactance, perceived quality of pediatrician communication, perceptions of vaccination safety, and vaccination prioritization using a sample of parents. We recruited 300 parent participants via the online platform Prolific Academic in which they completed a computer-mediated survey. Results show that compared to those who are low in psychological reactance, those high in psychological reactance place less of a priority on vaccination, and that this relationship is driven by evaluations of physician communication quality and perceived vaccine safety. Our findings suggest that physicians should not adopt a one-size-fits-all approach when interacting with patients and should tailor messaging to patients based on psychological factors including reactance.

Helping lower income parents reduce the risk of food waste resulting from children's aversion to healthier food options: Comment on Daniel (2016).

We reflect on Daniel's (2016) finding that a challenge to improving the diets of lower income children is parental worry over food waste that results from children's rejection of healthier food options such as vegetables. This finding has important implications because previous research has indicated novel foods that have a bitter or sour flavor profile (as is the case with many vegetables) must be introduced to children several times before these foods are accepted. We suggest research-based techniques that parents could utilize to reduce the risk of costly food waste, and discuss obstacles that could impede well-intended parents from reaching their goals of improving their children's diets.

The impact of holiday eating cues on self-regulatory bolstering for dieters and non-dieters.

OBJECTIVE: Two studies examined the hypothesis that the presence vs. absence of holiday food cues leads dieters to bolster self-regulatory resources and reduce consumption of a snack food. Study 1 evaluated snack-food consumption on a holiday vs. a non-holiday and in Study 2, the proposed underlying mechanism--the bolstering of self-regulatory resources when facing holiday-related cues--was explored. METHODS: Study 1 followed a quasi-experimental design in which participants (N = 152) consumed candies either on a holiday or a non-holiday. Dieting behaviour was measured and the main outcome measure was consumption quantity. In Study 2, a true experiment, participants (N = 110) read primes associated with holiday eating, holiday history or a neutral topic. Self-regulatory bolstering was assessed as the main outcome measure. RESULTS: Study 1 showed that dieters consume more of a food item on an ordinary day relative to a holiday; the consumption patterns of non-dieters did not vary based on holiday cues. Study 2 demonstrated that dieters, but not non-dieters, bolster self-regulatory resources to a greater extent in the presence vs. absence of a holiday food cue. CONCLUSION: Dieters are better equipped to defend their diet-related goals when facing strong holiday-related temptations than weaker, everyday temptations.